Sarasota Cops Accuse 37-Year-Old Of Stealing Personal Info

SARASOTA, FL — A 37-year-old man has been accused of using a Longboat Key resident's personal information to take out a loan on a $21 ,179.54 off-road vehicle, according to Sarasota police.

Brent Acord of Fort Myers was charged with grand theft over $20,000 and criminal use of personal information over $5,000 in connection with the April 29 purchase of a 2020 Honda Pioneer 1000-5 Deluxe at Hap's Honda, 2530 17th Street in Sarasota.

"The victim told officers an unknown person was fraudulently using his personal information to obtain credit to buy a vehicle," the agency's Genevieve Judge said Tuesday in announcing the charges.

"The victim found out about the fraudulent activity when he received a letter regarding a vehicle loan that he did not open," Judge said. "Sarasota police detectives learned in April 2020, the same suspect used the same victim’s information to purchase a powersports vehicle from a business in Punta Gorda."

In August, Sarasota Police Department criminalistics technicians found latent prints on the application paperwork from the business in Sarasota.

"The fingerprints were determined to have belonged to Acord," Judge said.

Acord was arrested Friday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on unrelated charges for failure to appear. Acord was served with charges for the Sarasota case at that time.

Judge said people should pay attention to unusual withdrawals from their bank accounts, unfamiliar bills or calls about unfamiliar debts.

The Federal Trade Commission suggests people take the following steps if they believe they are the victim of identity theft:

• Call the companies where you know fraud happened
• Place a fraud alert on your credit reports and get copies of the reports
• File a police report with your local law enforcement agency

You can also reduce your risk and protect your identity by the following steps, according to the FTC:

• Read your credit card and bank statements carefully and often
• Know your payment due dates. If a bill does not arrive when you expect it, look into it
• Shred any documents with personal and financial information
• Review each of your credit reports at least once a year

To report a tip, call Detective Ross Revill at 941-263-6092 or leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 941-366-TIPS or via www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com.